gold coat-of-arms representing two dolls dancing, in the

centre of each end.

"Front seats, or sides?" he asked the two ladies.

"Front ones, certainly," said Ethel.

"Tha-a-a-ank you," said the Rod, with a mocking bow.

"If you had not had the good luck to say that, it would have been my duty to have turned you out."

"Which you would not have liked, I suppose?

?"

"Oh!-dear-no!-not at all," and he winked at her.

"Rude thing!" said Ethel. "It's vulgar to wink."

“Look, look!” said the Fairy, as usual trying to stop the bickering. "There are the guests."

"Invited ones! remember," said the Rod.

And looking in the direction indicated, Ethel now saw from under the trees the dolls walking onwards in twos and threes, some lingering now and again by the fountains, others by the flower-beds—all were laughing and talking. Ethel leaned over with longing eyes.

Oh! that I might be a doll for one night! Just to be down there! How lovely it must be!"

"They require something like this now and then," said

the Fairy, "or they could not bear the treatment they are compelled to endure in the children's world."

The cook and housemaid from the dolls' house came tripping along, giggling and laughing in rather a vulgar way, Ethel thought.

"I am surprised at their being admitted," she said to the Fairy.

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"I told you before that we have no distinctions; they have not had the advantages that the other dolls have had, so we expect less of them, that is all. Besides, their fun is quite harmless, it is their way of enjoying themselves."

They both went up to Robinson Crusoe, but Alice darted a look at them from under her hood, and off they ran. Alice considered that Crusoe belonged to her, and did not approve of the freedom of these two dolls, apparently, much more than did Ethel herself.

HERE is the Queen?" asked Ethel.

"Watch the palace door," was the

answer. "The Queen's household will come first."

Just as she spoke the door flew open, and a great number of little dolls, both ladies and gentlemen, dressed in all shades of satin, came down the steps. The ladies' dresses were sweeping the ground in grand style, the gentlemen wore cloaks thrown loosely over one shoulder, and looked to Ethel like the cavaliers of olden times, as represented chiefly on twelfth-cakes. When they were all out, they mingled with the other guests.

The cook and housemaid had taken possession of Ethel's

G

sailor doll, and the three were promenading together—the sailor was "heart-whole," and liked the attention paid to him by his pretty companions.

All the dolls seemed pleased at meeting again, and many questions were asked of each other, such as

"Do you like your new mistress? Has she any brothers? Do you go into society? Have you many smart dresses?" &c., &c.

Frequently Ethel heard the sentences, "I never thought I should be so ill used! I wish I had not left this country!" "Rest content where you are, my

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So glad to escape!"

dear!" and many similar expressions.

"Some of those complaints are from my dolls," she said to the Fairy.

"So I expect," said the Fairy. "But watch the door, Ethel, the Queen will be coming out presently."

As she spoke six tiny cupids, with garlands of flowers round them and golden trumpets in their hands, came from the palace and stood at the foot of the throne. Then followed six little dolls dressed as pages, in crimson and gold tunics; they came out backwards, and with bowed